Triads
by Autmn and Winter
Summary: Demons seem to be going on a rampage after some unusual women arrive in town


Title: Triads   
Author: Autumn and Winter   
E-Mail: nimue_2@hotmail.com   
Rating: R(just to be safe)   
Disclaimer: The only characters we own are Hope and Trinity Williams, Rinah, Ursalla, Brennan and Sairah   
Summary: Sequel to "Three Times the Trouble" The sisters must fight an evil that's escaped from the dark abyss of the astral plane   
Feedback: please send us any feedback you may have, we would really like to know what you think, but please no flames. Send your feedback to Nimue_2@hotmail.com   
Note: telepathy indecated by : :   
  
Three women sat at a booth in a caffé. They were nearly identical from their rich brown tresses to the beauty marks they all had on their right cheeks. The only differences were in how they were dressed and the colour of their eyes. The one wearing blue jeans, thong sandals and a pale turquoise tube top, her hair tied back from her face in a loose braid, had striking, unnatural, dark jade green eyes. The girl sitting on her right was wearing a dark blue short- sarong, a light blue tank-top and heeled sandals with her straight hair held back by a blue bandana, had impossibly dark twilight-blue eyes. The last, who wore black leather pants, with a black tube-top and black stomping boots, her wavy hair left loose as it almost always was, had deep liquid brown eyes.   
"God, Faith," groaned the girl with the blue eyes, "how in hell can you wear that?…it's so fucking hot!" Faith just answered her sister with a shrug.   
"Flaunt it if you've go it, Trin," she replied with a smirk.   
"One of *my* mottos…but I always add…'but don't go over the top'…after…" Faith made a face at her sisters implied comment.   
"It takes all kinds, I guess, Hope," she answered. Hope didn't reply.   
"The air conditioning must be broken…bloody figures," she said instead.   
"That's the problem with you Canadians," Faith returned, "you're not used to the heat…"   
"Hey!" both girls snapped.   
"It can get pretty hot in the summer in Canada," snapped Trinity.   
"My suggestion," continued Hope, "don't make assumptions until you've been there…" Faith shrugged again, indifferently, and then sighed.   
"I think I'm ready to leave, this place is dead…" she muttered.   
"Mmm," responded her two sisters almost absently as they climbed to their feet and all deposited some bills onto the table to pay for their food and drinks. The three were all still getting used to the entire situation. It had only been about a week, give or take, since they'd first run into each other while trying to escape a gang of demons. Faith had never known she'd had two sisters…let alone two sisters who were stinking rich thanks to their wealthy aunt…and Hope and Trinity had never realized that they had a third sister…Twins, that was what they had always been, until they discovered that they were in fact only two thirds of a set of identical triplets. Hope and Faith had hit it off straight away, but Faith and Trinity were still having some trouble…Hope had suggested that maybe it was because they were quite a bit alike…and then had been afraid that the two of them were going to beat her into the ground…Thankfully, the two had taken a moment to think about it and decided to let it slide. Trinity and Faith were somewhat similar…not that Trinity had ever been on the verge of being criminally insane…or had killed anyone just for kicks… but her friends at school had had a couple of jokes that they had enjoyed teasing her with. One of them was, as they said, she gave the devil an inferiority complex. The other was that she would never die, because Heaven didn't want her and Hell was afraid she'd take over. She wasn't really that bad, but she had a way of being overtly blunt and had never been afraid to state her mind whenever, wherever, to whomever, no matter what anyone thought. She could even get to the point of being a real bitch when she wanted to be, but it was more her sharp tongue that got her that reputation as opposed to Faith's love to fight. Maybe it was because Hope was the middle triplet, but she was quieter and more sympathetic toward people…well, most of the time…She sometimes wondered if Faith only stuck around because she knew that Hope wouldn't just let her walk out of their lives again. Trinity hadn't exactly been hostile, but she hadn't been miss gracious either, a lot of the time, where as, Hope almost seemed to go out of her way to make sure Faith was comfortable with the sudden change in life style. It didn't matter…Faith wasn't planning to skip town anytime in the not so distant future. She'd always wanted someone who would accept her as her, and not try to change her…Maybe this was finally it…Hope didn't seem to be in a big hurry to make Faith become a good little rich girl, and Trinity…well, sometimes Faith got the feeling that Trinity *enjoyed* their arguments. Hell, she probably did…Sometimes it seemed that she started the arguments on purpose…maybe it was her way of letting off steam, just like Faith's pounding demons into a bloody pulp…well, among other things… was her way.   
The three left the coffee shop and headed down the street. They were so busy talking and laughing, that they didn't notice the young man heading toward them in the opposite direction, until they were practically on top of him…   
"Hey," he snapped good naturedly, when they nearly collided with him head on, "what's a guy have to do to get noticed in this city?" The three all turned to face him.   
"Hey, Matt," Hope and Trinity said in near unison. Faith smiled to herself as she let her eyes slide up and down Matt's body. He was tall and muscular, with short, sandy-blond hair and warm green- blue eyes that were flecked with gold. Faith bit her lip; he was wicked hot! Faith continued to gaze hungrily at Matt until she felt a sharp jab in her ribs that caused her to break her gaze and look toward Hope…   
"Matt is Trin's," Hope said in a soft hissing voice.   
"You must be the Faith I've been hearing so much about," Matt suddenly said, smiling at the brown-eyes brunette and holding out his hand.   
"Yup, that's me," replied Faith, taking the proffered hand.   
"Nice to meet you."   
"Yup, back at ya," replied Faith, giving Matt a somewhat sultry smile.   
"I guess you'd like a minute to talk to our sis, hey?" asked Hope.   
"If you don't mind…" Hope nodded and wrapped her hand around Faith's arm.   
"Come on, sis," Hope said, "let's leave these two alone a while." Faith made a mock pout, but followed her jade-eyed sister and left Trinity and Matt alone.   
The two of them stood a good distance away so that they wouldn't overhear what their sister and her…boyfriend?…had to say. The two talked for a few minutes as the sisters began to grow impatient. As the sisters watched, though, the peaceful conversation suddenly looked like it was fast becoming a heated argument…that abruptly ended when Trinity backhanded Matt so hard that he staggered. He watched Trinity with utter surprise in his bottomless eyes, while rubbing his bruised jaw, while Trinity slowly walked away toward her sisters…fury written all over her beautiful face, her dusky-blue eyes flashing like two indigo flames. Faith and Hope both gazed at their sister in some amount of shock. A smile, however, was quick to spread across Faith's features.   
"Wow, Trin, never woulda thought you had it in ya…" she said. Trinity, however, scowled at Faith.   
"Don't fucking push me!" she snapped.   
"What was that all about?" demanded Hope.   
"It's none of your business, Hope," growled Trinity. Hope defensively held up her hands as if to say 'don't shoot', before they started walking again. They got a short way and then Hope smiled to herself.   
"You know, Trin…" she said as they walked, "a lot of people say that when two people fight like that, it's a symbol of just how much they care for each other."   
"You mean fighting like an old married couple?" chuckled Faith. Trinity snorted…actually it was more of a growl.   
"That's bull shit," she snapped and then stalked on ahead, while Hope and Faith exchanged glances.   
"Hmm," Faith murmured to Hope, "now that Matt's free…do ya think I could have him to play with for a night?" Hope gave her brown- eyed sister a dark look.   
"Behave yourself, Faith," she hissed. Faith looked at her sister with mocking eyes, but didn't say anymore.   
Well, that was it, the day was ruined…Trinity was in a bitter mood the rest of the day, Faith couldn't get her raging hormones under control and her mind off of Matt and what she'd do to him if she ever got the chance…and Hope was, as always, stuck in the middle of it all. They finally found themselves back in their penthouse suite. Hope collapsed sulkily onto the couch with a sigh and flicked her wrist absently, switching on the stereo and CD player…A moment later Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata began to drift dreamily out of the speakers…That was another difference between Faith and her sisters… Unlike Faith who, until she'd met them, had avoided the stuff like the plague, Hope and Trinity were rather fond of classical music…Oh, they liked other music as well…All kinds, actually…In fact, just a couple nights ago, the three of them had decided to go clubbing…and Faith had to admit that she had been surprised. Not only had they dressed quite far from conservatively…they had proven to be quite sensational on the dance floor…They had even proven that they could act just as sultry as their slayer sister, while at the same time to have much greater will power when it came to guys coming on to them… In fact, Trinity had gone so far as to tell a guy off when he wouldn't stop hounding her. Faith had actually thought that Trinity was going to telekinetically throw the guy into a wall, with every intent on breaking his neck…but, even though the blue-eyed sorceress had later admitted that she'd been tempted, she hadn't done so.   
'Ah, the things you learn when ya hang around people long enough,' Faith thought to herself…Then her thoughts drifted back to Matt as her raging hormones took her over again.   
"Faith, get your mind out of the gutter," muttered Hope from the sofa as she dropped her head back against the back of the couch, while turning her head to agaze at her sister. Faith stiffened. She kept forgetting that her two sisters weren't just mere mortals…Far from it in fact…they were powerful sorceresses…with even greater potential and one of the things they could do was sense people's thoughts.   
"Stay the hell out of my head," snapped Faith, then as an afterthought, "please." Hope let an almost non-existent smile touch her full, pouty lips…that was more like a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth. She then closed her eyes and let out an explosive sigh. They all sat there in the living room in silence for a few minutes, but the silence was suddenly broken by a loud crash of something shattering, and then Hope and Trinity's two cats came flying out of one of the bedrooms like bats out of hell.   
"What the-" Faith was cut off when the building was suddenly shaken by a violent tremor, while at the same time, a furious, icy wind tore though the apartment. Trinity threw up a hand, creating a shield out of magical energy and extended it around her sisters. After nearly five minutes, the shaking and the howling wind, which almost seemed to carry wailing voices on it, stopped…   
"What the hell was that?" cried Faith, looking rather shaken.   
"Trouble,"stated Trinity, as she brought down the shield.   
"Serious Trouble,"agreed Hope.   
The three sisters continued to sit in the living room, all drinking water that Hope had gotten for them. It was evident to Faith that her sisters were still as agitated as their cats after what had happened. If it had just been a simple tremor, then Faith would have easily been able to dismiss it as a normal, everyday earthquake…They were in California after all, but the wind that had torn through the suite when the evening had been completely calm, wasn't normal, so she had to assume that there was more to what was going on.   
"What the hell caused that?" Faith finally demanded.   
"Some demon or spirit escaping the Astral Abyss," said Trinity with relative calm.   
"So, now we just have to figure out what it is…This is *not* going to be fun…" muttered Hope.   
  
*******   
  
Between the fabric of the physical and the astral realms was a small tear where four evil spirits from the Abyss hid.   
"It appears that the physical triad be reunited. This be bad for us, even if the third Astral sister does not reach out to aid the third of the physical realm…" said one in a soft, whispery voice.   
"Aye," agreed another in a warm, smoky voice, "this be a problem for us. The two sisters be powerful on their own, but now that they be rejoined by their third, neither Astral, nor worldly demons be safe."   
"Surely, they must know we be free," said a third in a low, cool voice, "but they cannot know *who* we be…It be prudent that we attack before they know…"   
"Aye," agreed the other two. However, a fourth figure stood aloof from the other three and then turned and stalked away in a fluid movement. The only think visible beneath its cloak, a pair of dark, sparkling cold eyes.   
  
*******   
  
The three sisters finally agreed that it would be best if they went to bed and tried to get some sleep. They had all stayed up late, discussing just what they should do about the impending threat, what their plan of action should be, whether they should get Angel Investigations involved…Faith had even considered suggesting that they should call Willow Rosenberg back in Sunnydale. She and her girl were both witches…probably not as powerful as Hope and Trinity were, but there was probably still a good possibility that they could help, considering this threat had to do with the other planes of existence… However, Faith stopped herself, recalling her last encounter with the other slayer, her blond counterpart, Buffy Summers…It had been far from pleasant and she didn't really want to face another confrontation…And then there was that other detail, about how she'd held a knife to Willow's throat with every intent on killing her…so she figured that the red-headed wicca would quite possibly be unwilling to help Faith and her sisters…No, that was an understatement, she'd probably drive to LA, just so she could watch the demon kill them all…whether or not the fate of the world hung in the balance. Faith figured that her sisters had picked up on some of this, but she had quickly dismissed it as nothing. The two had both given her dubious looks, but had not pushed it any further and instead suggested bed…Faith, quite happily agreed…anything to get her out of the somewhat awkward position she felt she was in. And so, the three all retired to their own rooms to tend to their own devices, what ever those may be.   
  
*******   
  
A pair of vampires stalked the Los Angeles streets, searching for an easy kill.   
"Gentlemen," said a soft, smoky voice from behind them. They turned to find a beautiful, seemingly young woman standing there. She wore a long, old fashioned black velvet cloak, the hood pulled up over her head so that only a few fiery-red tendrils could be seen falling into her piercing obsidian eye; the most chilling thing about her…two depthless pools so wide that barely any white could be seen.   
"You've just made a big mistake, lady," said one of the vampires with a cruel smile.   
"Have I," she replied stating it rather than asking it, in that low, breathy voice of hers. She smiled coldly, but despite her beauty, the smile seemed hideous because of the malice it held. "I bring a message…" she breathed as she slowly circled the two bloodsuckers, "but if you care not to hear it…" The vampires circled on the spot, keeping her constantly in their line of site.   
"Who the hell *are* you?" demanded on of the vampires.   
"A friend," she replied, "my name be Rinah and I come to tell you this. The slayer known as Faith be no longer alone. She has sisters; most powerful sorceresses. With them allied, no demon of this plane, or the Astral, or the Nether realms be safe. This be a most dark time for demon kind. Need be must we ally together, physical demons, Astral spirits, Nether spirits, all, to counter these most powerful sisters…" One of the vampires scoffed.   
"We can take these chicks easy…Whether they're slayers, or sorceresses, or just plane humans…" Rinah made a sound that almost resembled a cross between a snort and a chuckle.   
"Clearly, you know not what you be dealing with," she said, "I still suggest that you join forces with all other creatures of the shadows if you wish to successfully thwart this triad and remain in the physical realm you call your home…" She tossed her head, shaking a couple of fiery strands away from her impossibly black eyes. "It be your choice, gentleman," she finally said, and then handed them what appeared to be some sort of tiny figurine carven out of obsidian and hung on a silver chain. "Think my words over. When your decision be made, invoke that amulet and I, or one of my sisters, shall come to you…" Rinah then gestured with a hand, and bright flames surrounded her and then seemed to rise to consume her. However, when the flames died down, there was no trace of the woman, no ash, nothing, not even a scorch mark on the pavement. It was almost as if she'd never been there.   
  
*******   
  
Faith awoke with a start. She glanced at her clock and saw that it was only 2:33am. She considered going back to sleep, but then heard movement in the living room and decided to check it out. She pushed the covers off her and climbed out of her four poster bed, after pushing aside the black curtains. Unlike the last time when she'd been woken, she knew that it was not a demon, but one of her sisters who was unable to sleep for whatever reason. She opened the door, nearly stepping on Trinity's cat, Nimue, who was lounging quite comfortably in the doorway, and them made her way down the hall. She entered the living room just as one of her sisters emerged from the kitchenette with a mug in one hand.   
"Faith," she said in a soft voice, nearly a whisper, "you caught me off guard." Faith immediately recognized Trinity by her deep, fathomless dawn-blue eyes. They, just like Hopes dark, sparkling jade-green orbs, still made Faith shiver slightly. Those eyes were just so…unnatural…almost to the point of being inhuman. Her sisters had explained to her that their eyes were sort of…a mark…to identify them from normal mortals, and even other sorceresses. They had explained that the Ancient ones of the Astral Plane watched over them and guided them, and had done so throughout their many various lives, and so were permanently marked for the Astral power from the day they were conceived. Faith found that thought almost chilling… they were marked for something so much greater than they were, not unlike she had been perhaps, since their mother had become pregnant with them…Not only that, they had done this in previous lives. Had Faith been a slayer in a previous life? She had to wonder…Faith made her way around the couch, which had Hope's cat, echo, laying on the back of it, and then sat down next to Trinity.   
"Did I wake you?" Trinity asked, obviously in one of her better moods.   
"Maybe…I don't know," replied Faith with a shrug, "doesn't matter anyway."   
"I see…" Trinity answered, a slight smile playing across her face, "I'm just having some trouble sleeping."   
"Really," Trinity nodded.   
"I decided to come out here and relax a bit. I've been having these dreams all night and they're driving me crazy, because I don't know what the hell they mean…" A look of confusion passed over Faith's features. "So…" Trinity looked at her sister's a moment. "I guess I should explain a bit," she said, "Hope and I are both what you might call seers. Hope's a far-seer…meaning she can see through space -"   
"Space…"   
"Would you just listen? Yes, space. She can locate a person or object through scrying, or even just by focusing her mind, as long as she knows what the object or person looks like. She can find anything or anyone, anywhere in the world, simply by focusing the power of her mind…"   
"Oh…okay, I get it…"   
"I, on the other hand, am I fore-seer…I can seen through time into the past or the future…" continued Trinity, "The two of us, do share aspects of each other's powers though…For example, sometimes hope might get a dream concerning future events, but it's very uncommon for her. But no this time…This time, I'm getting the obscure dream visions…I can usually call visions simply by focusing…I especially like to have the aid of a scrying tool…a mirror, a glass bowl filled with water, a clear orb…it's called crystal gazing…but every once in a while the visions manifest in my sleep…when I dream."   
"So, what do you see?"   
"Well, I keep having the same dream. There are four figures, cloaked and hooded, one apart from the rest. The other three are rallying together the dark forces; vampires, demons and spirits, and not *just* from this realm, but from the Astral and Nether realms as well…It's got me a little concerned…" Faith nodded earnestly.   
"So, you think it means something?" She asked.   
"Oh, I know it means something…I just don't know what…"   
In the morning, the triplets talked together over breakfast. Trinity explaining to Hope what she'd seen in her dreams the previous night.   
"I hate riddles," muttered Hope.   
"And, undoubtedly, the Ancients will be unwilling to help us out and give us even the most miniscule of hints…The all knowing bastards…" muttered Trinity.   
"Huh?" said Faith. Hope and Trinity both realized that they'd completely lost their sister…   
"Uh, we'll explain later, love," Hope said.   
"Maybe we should talk to Angel," Faith suggested. The other two both made faces, "I mean it," insisted Faith, "He's got connections to the Powers That Be, maybe they can give us a hint…"   
"If the Powers That Be are anything like the Ancients, then that's doubtful," muttered Trinity.   
"But still," said Hope suddenly, "I suppose it can't hurt to try, right?"   
  
*******   
  
Angel sat broodingly in his office as always. Faith was now taking up residence with her sisters, which was good for Angel. He wasn't too fond of guests staying with him, but at them same time, he felt some concern for Faith. When she had called him about a week ago to let him know what was going on. She had sounded more light-hearted than she'd been in a long time; another good change, but he still wasn't sure about the two sorceresses. What if they were playing her for some reason? After all, he and his associates/friends still didn't know anything about them…nor did Faith and he didn't want to see her get hurt again. One more betrayal could quite possibly be the final blow that would send her right over the edge beyond deliverance. His train of thought was interrupted suddenly by a brisk rap on the door. Cordelia then stuck her head in.   
"Angel, psycho - I mean, Faith is here with her sisters and they're all looking for you…" Angel nodded and a few moments later the three identical sisters entered. Angel found it easy to pick Faith out of the three. She still liked her leather pants, low cut, form fitting tops and stomping boots. The one he guessed was Trinity by her dark-blue, nearly black eyes, was dressed more casually in flared denim jeans, a tube top and thong sandals. That meant the third with the deep, sparkling jade eyes was Hope. She was dressed in a light-blue and black summer dress and healed sandals. For identical triplets, they all sure had different styles. They even carried themselves differently. It was almost like seeing three different aspects of the brunette slayer, or how she may have turned out had she lived different lives.   
"Faith," said Angel after a few moments of silence had passed, "how are you?" It seemed like an idiotic question seeing he'd talked to her just the other day. Faith smiled in her usual manner.   
"Five by five," she replied. Faith's two sisters exchanged glances.   
'Five by five?' the one Angle had guessed was Trinity mouthed to the other he assumed was Hope. The other shrugged. They obviously didn't know what it meant.   
"Angel," Hope then said before another awkward silence could ensue, "we have a problem and Faith suggested we come to you before we start racking our brains in an attempt to solve any impossible riddles…"   
"Not that we have any problems with doing just that," cut in Trinity, "After all, it's what we've always done since out aunt first started training us in the ways of sorcery…"   
"Look,"continued Hope, "to be painfully blunt, we're still a little pissed off about last Friday night…but there are more important things to deal with right now and we need your help to figure it all out…" Angel sat silently, staring at the triplets, but mainly Hope and Trinity. The two stared right back at him one quite calm, the other almost defiant, waiting patiently for his reply…   
"All right," he finally said, "so what are we dealing with here…?"   
Hope and Trinity explained what was going on, adding in some of their own personal opinions and receiving some input from Faith as well. When they were done, Angel sat in silence a moment…   
"I don't think I've heard of anything like this before, " he finally stated.   
"Probably because it's being caused by Astral beings, which don't usually associate with physical demons," said Trinity sounding a mite irritable.   
"That's what makes her dreams so strange," agreed Hope, "Most Astral beings, especially the evil ones, don't like to be hindered by the Physical. They feel that anything done through physical means is a waste of time because it can usually be done twice as fast through Astral means…"   
"I thought maybe the Powers That Be might be willing to help,"said Faith. Angle looked a bit stricken. He hadn't realized that Faith knew about that…   
"Uh, I'll have to see," Angel stated, "is there any other way you can get the information you need?"   
"Oh, yeah," said Trinity,"we've been doing this for as far back as we can remember…"   
"It just takes a lot of time, and we don't know how much of that particular commodity we have…" finished Hope. Angel nodded, seeing that it made some sort of sense.   
"I'll see what I can do," he told the girls, "but I can't make any promises…"   
"Of course," agreed Hope, "I think we can appreciate that, right Trinity?" When the other didn't reply, Hope elbowed her sister in the ribs…   
"Oh, uh, right…" Trinity said, then added under her breath, "I suppose."   
"Well, I guess we should go," Hope said. Her sisters nodded and the three headed for the door, but Angel called Hope and Trinity back.   
"We'll be right out," Hope told Faith and then closed the door behind her sister.   
"I want to talk to you about Faith," Angel stated getting directly to the point.   
"Well, then talk away," said Trinity, "but hurry up about it… please."   
"I just want to make sure that your concern for you r sister it genuine," Angel said. He looked at the two girls' faces. Trinity looked both annoyed and shaken, but Hope clearly looked completely shocked.   
"Are you implying that we're planning to deliberately hurt out sister; that we're only helping her to serve our own ends?" demanded Hope, looking disgusted   
"Are you?" asked Angel calmly. Both sisters looked appalled.   
"You know what,"said Trinity, "you are a god damned bastard to suggest something like that…" Hope shook her dark head in disbelief, her dark green eyes bright with suppressed anger. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut again, so angry she couldn't even form words. She let out a breath that trembled with barely controlled rage.   
"We're leaving," she said when she could finally speak, "Thanks for your help…come on, sis…" The two headed out the door and Angel let them, satisfied   
  
*******   
  
On the night of the new moon a large group gathered in the safest place they could think of; an old abandoned building in one of the more run down areas of LA. They waited, seemingly expectant as though they were anticipating something of great importance…or someone. At long last, three cloaked and hooded figures entered and stood before the myriad of demons…   
"My friends!" cried one of the figures in a smoky voice, Rinah, "we gather together now and ally ourselves in order to destroy the powerful physical triad; the slayer and her sorceress sisters, utterly and completely. We stand before you, myself and my two sisters, Ursalla and Brennan, in order to affirm our even greater and more powerful alliance and to discuss our plan with the lot of you. We must remember to be wary and not to underestimate our opponents… Many of you tend to do so and *that* is why you do not succeed, but they be unsuspecting of our great plan and this time the victory will be ours. Those of you who be willing to take on the sisters will do so with a plan. The physical demons shall take the sorceresses, they be unused to such battles, while the Astral and Nether spirits shall take the slayer, it be the same with her…Worry not, my friends, victory be at hand…"   
  
*******   
  
The three sisters sat in the park, enjoying the heat of the late afternoon. While the three sat, Hope and Trinity both simultaneously felt icy cold fingers trace their spines and then spread to the rest of their bodies, causing them to break out with goosebumps.   
"Oh my God," whispered Hope.   
"You felt it too?" asked Trinity.   
"What?" demanded Faith.   
"A sudden chill," Hope said, her voice nearly a whisper…Faith didn't look all that concerned.   
"It means something evil is afoot and something is going to happen…and soon," stated Trinity, her voice a little stronger than Hope's.   
"Can you call a vision?" asked Hope.   
"Of *course* I can, stupid," snapped Trinity a bit sharply, "but I think we should go home before I do…" Hope nodded   
"Good idea…sorry about this, Faith…" Faith shrugged indifferently and said,   
"Doesn't matter, we can come back some other time…" Both Hope and Trinity seemed relieved that they sensed no bitterness or anything resembling it, in her voice. They all walked to Hope's car and headed back to their apartment.   
The three were quick to get back to their apartment. Trinity spread a cloth on the coffee table; a very elaborately embroidered cloth, covered with the images of dragons. Meanwhile, Hope was in one of the closets. She pulled out an equally elaborate chest, the lid carven with a complex semblance of a solar disc, while the four sides each had detailed depictions of lunar discs on them.   
"Which one do you want, Trin?" Hope asked, "your scrying crystal? Your bowl -"   
"The mirror," said Trinity sounding a bit as though her mind was someplace else already. Hope pulled a beautiful silver mirror inset with several semi-precious stones. She handed it to Trinity who placed it on the table. When she was ready, Hope took Faith by the arm and led her out of the room.   
"Come on," she said in a very soft voice, "for Trin to call up a really clear and detailed vision, she needs to be able to concentrate." Faith followed her sister out of the room, to leave Trinity to her visions.   
At first, the mirror was just like any mirror, but slowly, the reflective surface dimmed to murky grey and then finally to black, seemingly flecked with the wink of distant stars. As she gazed into the starry depths of the mirror, Trinity automatically whispered a few words, as was her habit. She wasn't sure why it worked for her. It could have been because it was an aid for her to focus her mind in order to call up her visions, or maybe it allowed her to reach higher sources of power on the Astral Plane, but which ever it was, it almost never failed. As she continued to gaze into the mirror, the image shifted from the deep darkness of a starry sky, to a view of LA as though from above. The view then dimmed again, but when it cleared, three cloaked and hooded figures were standing in her view. Behind them were vampires and demons in every shape and form, and she could also recognize what were negative spirits from the Astral and Nether realms. There was then a flash of pale silver light as the image again shifted into the future, and Trinity saw not only the demons, but herself and her sisters fighting for their lives against them…   
Hope and Faith hurried back into the sitting room when they heard Trinity utter several sharp curses in several different languages…   
"What's wrong?" demanded Hope.   
"I think I know who escaped the void," Trinity said…She told her sisters every detail of what she'd seen, especially about the three cloaked figures and their army of demons…   
"So, you think what you saw was the four dark sisters…" stated Hope in an attempt to understand her sister better. Trinity nodded.   
"But, you said there was only three of them,"protested Faith, feeling a bit confused.   
"There were," reaffirmed Trinity   
"But there are four sisters…The youngest sister, Sairah, is the smartest as well as the most powerful," agreed Hope.   
"You see," continued Trinity, "the sisters used to be some of the most powerful sorceresses to ever exist, but they were also very power hungry and evil. They were finally defeated and banished into the Astral Abyss…"   
"Sairah is the type who doesn't like to get her hands dirty, so to speak. She lets the other three sisters do the fighting, but she's smart and she has no intention of sharing the power with them…"   
"Like pawns," volunteered Faith. Trinity smiled.   
"If the shoe fits," she agreed.   
"Only, they don't realize it," finished Hope.   
"They're coming here," stated Trinity, bluntly and quite suddenly.   
"What?" demanded Hope.   
"When?" asked Faith.   
"I don't know," Trinity sighed, shaking her head…   
  
*******   
  
"Soon my friends!" cried Rinah to the group of various monsters and demons standing eagerly before her and her sisters, "soon we will come face to face with our enemies and I give you all my assurance that they will be easily defeated. Listen carefully…"   
  
*******   
  
Over the next few days, Hope and Trinity went out with Faith when she went patrolling. She had decided to take it up again after Trinity's vision. They all agreed that the three of them should stick together. Hope and Trinity both knew that the three evil sorceresses would wait until they were separated before they struck, because the three knew that the triplets were very powerful together, but were weakened slightly when separated and the two told Faith this. More than once, demons and vampires came after them while they walked the dark LA streets. Sometimes they were working together, sometimes they weren't, but they always came at them in groups, never alone. The triplets all had made the same assumptions, that this was all due to the three evil sorceress sisters. Therefore, they all came to the same agreement, to ask Angel for his help…   
"So, what you're saying is you want me to help you fight these evil sisters when the three of you are perfectly capable of dealing with them yourselves…" said Angel. There was several moments of silence and then Hope broke it.   
"Wh - uh…yes," she finally admitted, after stammering a little, "but it's more complicated that that…"   
"Oh, really," said Wesley   
"Yes, really, don't give me that stuffed shirt, cynical Englishman crap" snapped Trinity, "if we end up dead before we can send those sisters back from whence they came, where they belong, then it'll be at least another thousand years before another sorcerer strong enough to defeat them will be born, and, really, what do you think the world will be like by then? And the sisters will be that much stronger as well…"   
"The bottom line is, they've been sending larger and larger gangs of demons after us regularly," said Hope, "Eventually our luck is going to run out, and the three of us aren't going to be able to deal with all of them, and after that…well, the night-time world is going to become even more unfriendly than it already is…"   
"Maybe you could just let us know if Cordy had any of her visions or whatever…" suggested Faith. Angel exchanged glances with his colleagues and then sighed   
"I'll…see what I can do,"he said.   
"Thank you,"said Hope with a slight smile before the three of them left.   
  
*******   
  
"Your plan be working not, Rinah,"said one of the other sister sorceresses.   
"Thanks be to those damned triplets…" muttered Rinah,   
"Perhaps it be time for a new plan," suggested the other sister.   
"Aye," muttered Rinah, "perhaps you be right, Brennan…Perhaps we should join the battle at long last." The other two sisters nodded, "Perhaps…perhaps we should take the fight to their own home…"   
"They be strong there,"protested Brennan.   
"And many of the demons may not enter unless welcomed…" agreed the other sister.   
"Ah,"said Rinah with a wry smile on her lips, "worry not, dear sisters, there still be a few tricks up my sleeve…wait and see."   
  
*******   
  
The triplets all sat in their apartment relaxing. They had already been out demon hunting and dealt with a few newborn vampires, but otherwise the night had been uneventful. Hope had made tea and they sat together in the living room. They had rented a bunch of movies, action, drama, comedy, whatever. Faith and Trinity were both watching 'True Lies', while Hope partly watched the movie and read at the same time. She liked the movie, but there was just something about the girl in the movie that creeped her out. Trinity and even Faith had noticed it too…Trinity thought that it was because she seemed to bear a resemblance to them or something. It didn't matter, whatever it was it creeped the hell out of her and so she did other things while watching to movie in order to distract herself.   
"I still don't get how you can do that," commented Faith, meaning Hope's ability to read and watch TV at the same almost time… well, almost.   
"What can I say," replied Hope, "I'm a multi-tasker…always have been…" As she finished these words, the front door blew open and right off its hinges.   
"What the-" cried Faith as a group of close to twenty demons, spirits, and vampires entered the penthouse apartment.   
"Wait just one fucking minute here!" cried Trinity, feeling anger begin to build up, "I thought vampires couldn't enter a person's home without and invitation…"   
"They can't," growled Faith.   
"And I *know* that malevolent spirits can't enter any building of human construction unless they've been welcomed through a cast and sealed circle and then released to work their will…" continued Hope, "It's just the way magick works…"   
"Yes, Magick," said an ethereal voice as three cloaked and hooded figures suddenly appeared in the room in the formation of a perfect, equilateral triangle; one from within a bright pillar of spiraling flame, one from a cyclone of swirling wind and clouds, one from a flurry of dust and sand. The figure at the point of the formation pushed back the hood revealing her long fiery red curls that framed her face and cascaded down over her shoulders.   
"Magick," she said again, "such a handy tool. You see, it be so easy to bend any rule with the use of magick. A chant here, a spell there, and an ancient magickal law can be easily nullified…" A malicious and not at all pretty smile touched her ruby coloured lips.   
"You must be…Rinah," said Hope. The beautiful, but extremely evil red-head spread her arms, her venomous smile growing wider, her dark cloak opening slightly to reveal her bright red, orange and yellow sorcerer's robes…   
"Ah,' she said taking a step forward, "you know more than I expected you to, my dear foe." She grinned; looking more like she was bearing her teeth, which more resembled fangs. She tossed her head, clearing bright golden-red locks out of her dark, obsidian eyes. "We've been watching you all for as long as you've been alive. You sorceresses will die, but…" She turned her depthless, jet eyes on Faith, "but, you Chosen One…we saw the path you walked…Join us, we'll grant you immortality…Not like that of vampires, not like that of demons. No conditions…but complete and total freedom. Immunity to all weapons you may name, no concern of sunlight, or crosses, or holy water…" Hope and Trinity could sense Faith waver slightly, but then quickly shake it off.   
"No," she said,"I won't take that rode again…"   
"So be it, Chosen One," said the evil triad in unison.   
"Take care of them," said one of the sisters, throwing back her hood, revealing her golden blond locks, tied back in a loose braid, twisted with dark yellow and white ribbons.   
"Kill them,"said the third, tossing off her hood, uncovering her rich brown tresses, "I want all three of their heads on a platter, or I'll have all of yours!" The demons and spirits all sneered and grinned poisonously at the triplets.   
"Damn, damn, damn,' hissed Trinity, "there's way too many of them for us to take…" The blond sorceress grinned and said in a poisonously sweet voice.   
"That be the point, dear enemy…"   
"Aye," agreed the brunette, "we be smarter than demons, she speaks true."   
"That remains to be seen," hissed Hope. The evil sorceresses chuckled.   
"Even if you be strong enough to slay all these demons, you all will be too weak to defeat us…and that's where we make the final strike…" said Rinah…"Either way, your lives be forfeit…"   
"We'll see about that," snarled Faith, "bring it on…" Rinah chuckled softly.   
"If you wish, Chosen One," she said and gestured. One of the dark spirits launched itself at her while a demon with fangs, claws and spiraling horns…among other things, went for Trinity and a vampire lunged at Hope. Trinity closed her eyes in an attempt to focus her mind, while Hope pulled out a wooden stake. Faith, although she's never faced a spirit-demon before, revealed the ornate consecrated dragger Hope had given her and then traced in the air a banishing pentagram, starting at the left and completing it at the right, just as her sister had shown her. As she did this, she imagined white-hot flames shooting from the dagger to form a fiery white five-pointed star. She had trouble believing that something so simple could destroy a spirit, and the two sorceresses had told her that it usually didn't, because of how basic it was, but they had both said that they believed it would nullify any of the evil sorceresses' spells. Therefore, she was completely caught by surprise when coils of blinding white-hot flames began to wrap themselves around the spirit. At the same time, Hope dusted the vamp and bright blue and violet flames exploded from the floor and surrounded Trinity's demon. When the chaos had cleared, there was noting left of the three demons but a pile of dust from the vampire, still smouldering cinders from Trinity's demon and a faint scorch mark on the floor where the spirit had been. Trinity opened her eyes and the flames could almost still be seen burning deeply in her sparkling twilight-blue eyes. The three evil sorceresses let out snarls of anger at seeing their attack thwarted.   
"KILL THEM!" shrieked the blond, her obsidian eyes almost seeming to blaze with the reflected fire of her rage. Hope and Trinity moved closer to Faith.   
"Listen,' Hope said in a low voice to Faith, "the laws of the Old Magick say, that to know a person's true name and/or magickal name is to have power over them."   
"You already know that the red-head's name is Rinah, the blond it Ursalla and the brunette is Brennan…" Faith nodded.   
"Okay,"she whispered.   
"We have a plan," Trinity told her…   
The sisters managed to frustrate two more of the attacks the evil sisters thew at them, and before they could send a fourth, the triplets spoke.   
"Rinah."   
"Ursalla."   
"Brennan," they all said in unison. The evil sorceresses stopped a moment and glared at the other three with shock in their obsidian eyes.   
"Call them off," said Hope.   
"Get rid of them," agreed Trinity.   
"Fight us yourselves…or…are you afraid to?" finished Faith. The three sisters hooted with laughter.   
"Afraid?" crowed Rinah, trying not to choke, "my goodness, dear foe, you certainly know not who we be if you believe that…"   
"Then prove it," challenged Faith. The evil sisters all broke out in wickedly ugly grins.   
"As you like…" said the three in unison and with a wave of their hands the demons all vanished into a great burst of flames and a rush of wind.   
"Now it be just the six of us," said Ursalla.   
"That's right," said Hope.   
"There's still time for you to back out," said Trinity.   
"And we could say the same for you…" grinned Brennan raising a hand and summoning up a powerful sand storm. Trinity quickly threw up a magical shield around herself and her sisters to repel the flying sand.   
"Is that all you plan to do?" demanded Rinah.   
"No," snapped Hope with a faint smile. She gestured slightly and then threw the wind and sand right back in Brennan's face. The brunette sorceress hadn't been expecting something like that and stumbled back with a furious curse and crashed into a shelf, causing books to fall off of it and onto her before she was able to dissipate the storm. She stood up a bit shakily, obviously enraged, a fire burning in her dark eyes. Nothing happened for several moments and then Hope and Trinity realized at nearly the same moment that the sisters were conversing telepathically.   
"Shit,"hissed Trinity, "we're in trouble now…" just as she said those words the three evil sisters all attacked as one, each taking one of them unexpectedly. Hope and Trinity barely had enough time to throw up shields of their own, let alone extend one around Faith. The attacks thrown at Hope and Trinity by Ursalla and Rinah were just barely deflected, but Brennan's directed at Faith, caught her at full force and drove her back into the wall. Brennan smiled poisonously as she approached the brunette slayer. Faith climbed to her feet, still a little dazed from the blow she'd taken to the head. It seemed that before she could blink the evil, dark haired sorceress was standing right there before her. The sorceress held up a hand, using her power to pin Faith against the wall.   
"My, my, my," said Brennan, her venomous smile growing wider, "I would have expected you to be more of a challenge Chosen One…I'm almost disappointed."   
"Excuse me if I don't cry for you,' growled Faith. Brennan let out a low chuckle.   
"*I* am going to *enjoy* finishing you off…and I promise you… it won't be a painless death…Don't you worry, I know more about torture that even you do, slayer..."   
'I'll try to contain my excitement," said Faith dryly. Brennan sighed, almost with disappointment and crossed her arms. She turned to look toward her two sisters, who were furiously battling the two brunette sorceresses, but neither the good sorceresses, nor the evil sorceresses seemed to be making any head way.   
"Seems you sisters aren't getting anywhere," said Faith. Brennan whirled back around to face the slayer, her cloak and robes swirling about her legs so that her mage robes of various shades of green were revealed.   
"Oh, don't you worry, your sisters be not able to last forever…" Faith studied Brennan carefully. It was almost chilling how the evil brunette seemed to resemble her and her identical sisters and even more so, in how she almost reminded Faith of herself after she'd given into her dark side.   
"It truly be a shame,"said Brennan looking Faith up and down almost hungrily, "I was truly impressed by your exploits after you joined with the mayor of Sunnydale…We knew him quite well, and what you did to Wesley Wyndam-Pryce…" she grinned wickedly, "he be a sorry excuse for a human. He gives men a bad name…And you know the basic torture groups…again, impressive…but," she leaned in closer to Faith, "there are far more painful forms of torture than you can't even begin to imagine…"   
"Ugh, just kill me now already and get it over with," groaned Faith, suddenly realizing what it must have been like for Joyce Summers and Wesley when she had held them hostage and carried on like a fucking loon.   
"All in good time, Chosen One, " said Brennan, her vicious smile never leaving her face.   
:This is bloody ridiculous,: Hope said to her sisters, telepathically. Her and Trinity had been berating Rinah and Ursalla with attack after attack and the two evil sorceresses had been doing precisely the same thing and none of them had managed to break down the others' magical shields at all.   
:I think I may have an idea,: Trinity said   
:It had better be a good one,: said Faith, not realizing right away that she'd thought it and not spoken it. It was so natural it seemed, although she'd never done it before.   
:If Hope and I combine out energies, we may be able to form a portal and send the sisters through it…:   
:Will it work?: asked Faith.   
:Uh, I'm not sure…We've never actually done anything like that before…:   
:What?!:   
:Okay, calm down,: broke in Hope, :Faith, this may be our only chance…Something they'd never be expecting…and, because it's such a different form of energy, it may disrupt the sorceresses' power…: Faith sighed mentally.   
:I guess it's worth a try…:   
Hope and Trinity broke off their attacks in order to gather up their energy and to meld those energies together into one in order to form a portal. Faith was also willing to donate some of her own energy to her sisters. Rinah and Ursalla, believing that Hope and Trinity were tiring, increased their attacks on the sister's shields. Both the Williams sorceresses and the evil sorceresses could sense the erosion of the good sorceresses' shields. The smiles of the dark triad widened, believing they'd finally won. The Williams sisters, however, ignored both the continual break down of their shields and the sorceress sister's attacks while they closed their eyes and concentrated on weaving their combined energy into a portal to the nether realm. The other two were so distracted and bent on the destruction of Hope and Trinity that they didn't notice what the two were doing, until the gateway was up, a pale glow emanating form the door frame of the apartment's front entrance. Fury and rage flickered in the eyes of both Ursalla and Rinah when they realized just what had happened, but it quickly faded to a sort of delight.   
"Foolish mortals," grinned Ursalla, "when we defeat you, we will be able to manipulate that gateway to serve our own purposes…"   
"Not if you lose," hissed Hope, gathering up what was left of her energy that was not powering the gate and telekinetically lifted up the blond sorceress to throw her toward the portal. The blond was able to stop herself just before she entered it and then threw several daggers of energy at Hope. Hope dodged them and managed to deflect them back at her. Ursalla stumbled back and right through the one-way portal to the nether realm.   
Faith watched Hope battle Ursalla, aware that as she had said, the energy emanating from the gate had cancelled out Brennan's magical hold on her. When Hope finally managed to get the blond sorceress through the gateway, both Rinah and Brennan exchanged glances and then the brunette rounded on Faith.   
"Don't look so smug,"she hissed, "Ursalla was a weak fool. You haven't won yet…When we're done with you, we'll have you begging for us to kill you…"   
"Is that so," said Faith with a sneer, "beg this." She then sucker punched the sorceress, causing her to stumble back, uttering several furious curses as she pressed a hand to her face.   
"You bloody bitch!" shrieked Brennan taking her hand away from her bloody nose and staring at the blood in her hand as though she'd never seen it before. She then spluttered even more angry curses.   
"What's the matter, Brennan?" jeered Faith, "can't handle a mortal?" The brunette sorceress let out a savage snarl and bared her teeth. She launched herself at the slayer and forced her against the wall, her hand at Faith's throat.   
"You are going to die a very slow and painful death, slayer," she snarled.   
"Like hell!" Faith gave the sorceress a powerful kick to the gut and sent her hurdling backwards. Brennan looked thoroughly shocked and even more enraged.   
"Damn it, Rinah, help me!" she cried.   
"Sorry, sister," replied the red-head, "if you cannot defeat the Chosen One yourself then you be not worthy to be part of the new order…" The brunette shrieked in fury.   
"Gosh," said Faith, "it's pretty sad when your own sisters won't even help you out…"   
"You!," hissed Brennan, "you watch your tongue lest I cut it out…"   
"Ooh, you have me shaking in my boots," quipped Faith.   
"I'll flay you alive!" roared Brennan.   
"Promises, promises," said Faith with a mock sigh. Faith was getting a wicked pleasure out of enraging the beautiful, furious and purely evil brunette sorceress.   
"Be careful, Faith," warned Hope, "she'll do everything she's promised without hesitation if she manages to over power you again…"   
"I think that is Faith being careful," muttered Trinity. Hope shot her sister a sharp look, but didn't reply.   
"My, my," sighed Rinah with a manic grin, "we all be so brave, especially on the eve of our deaths." Both brunette sorceresses snorted.   
"Aren't you jumping ahead, just a little too soon?" asked Hope rhetorically. The red-headed sorceress arched her brows, her smile never fading.   
"*So*, brave," she repeated. She sighed mockingly,"It be such a shame, it seems, to kill such courage and potential, but…" she raised a hand and several bright daggers of light and magical energy appeared just above it. She gestured, barely visibly and the daggers cut through the air toward the two sorceresses, but the two did something they'd never tried before. They adjusted their magical shields to absorb the energy Rinah was throwing at them.   
"Rinah!" cried Brennan suddenly, almost desperately, "help me deal with the Chosen One and then I will aid you in dealing with the sorceresses…" Rinah turned her sharp gaze on her sister.   
"I - have had just about enough of you, sister," she snarled, and then with nothing more, she gestures and Brennan was thrown back and vanished into the gateway. "Well," said Rinah, allowing her obsidian black eyes to drift methodically over the triplets, "you have been lucky enough to have disposed of my two sisters…but you will not be so lucky with me…"   
"You are far too sure of yourself,"said Hope.   
"Seems to me," agreed Trinity, "that you're just too stupid to admit defeat…" Rinah tossed her head.   
"You are deeply foolish, mortals," she said, "you could never dream to over power me…"   
"Like you sisters?" asked Faith rhetorically in a mocking voice. That obviously struck close to home. There was a violent flash of pure rage in the red-head's eyes. Faith came up to stand next to her sisters and almost sensed them extend their protective energy around her.   
"I - am infinitely more powerful than they could ever hope to be…"   
"You seem pretty certain of that, Rinah,' said Hope. Rinah snorted audibly.   
"Three against one," said Trinity, "I think the odds are in our favour…If I were you, I'd get my sorry ass through that portal before you get thrown through…" The red-head snorted again and narrowed her eyes. Without a second warning the two brunette sorceresses telekinetically lifted Rinah off the floor, just like Hope had done to Ursalla, and with their combined wills 'threw' her toward the portal. However, Rinah was quick to recover and she dropped back to the ground, glowering.   
"It will take much more than that, my mortal foes…"   
"I am getting so fucking tired of listening to you,"snarled Faith giving Rinah a powerful kick to her solar plexus...The force was just enough to drive hre back into the portal…   
"Way to go, Faith," said Trinity.   
"Well met, ladies, well met," came a new voice. The triplets turned just as a roaring tower of foaming water appeared and from it, a fourth young woman emerged. Her hair was as jet black as her eyes and rippled like the black depths of the ocean at midnight. "However, I will not so easily be defeated, I fear, unless there be someone here I know nothing about…"   
"Sairah," whispered Hope. They hadn't been expecting the fourth and most powerful of the sisters.   
"Son of a fucking bitch,"muttered Trinity.   
"What?" demanded Faith, "we'll just kick her ass like we did with her sisters…no big…"   
"You don't understand," whispered Hope, "Sairah is far more powerful than all three of her sisters combined. Ursalla was a high- master, Brennan and Rinah were adepts, but Sairah is a master-adept… It's been said that she was on the verge of reaching high-adept status when she and her sisters were defeated. Trin and I are both high-masters…nearly adepts, slightly stronger than an adept with our powers combined, but not nearly strong enough to even hope to defeat Sairah…At least not like this…" Sairah smiled softly.   
"That be exactly so, dear girls…My power is infinitely more powerful that yours will ever be…Now make your peace with which ever gods or higher beings you worship, for it be all over for you…" Sairah didn't move at all, but the air throughout the room seemed to fill with a strange sort of energy. "My sisters have performed their part well, you are greatly weakened, my sorceresses, and the slayer has no hope against me…and you performed your parts just as well, ridding me of them so I need not waste my energy doing it myself. Say farewell to your world, children, it all be over…" The air crackled with power as the magic rose. However, unexpectedly someone grabbed the raven haired sorceress from behind. Sairah was so shocked by it that she didn't have a chance to respond as she was dragged over to the glowing portal and was then thrown in. There was a violent tremor, similar to the one that had been felt when they had escaped the Astral Abyss, and then the gateway collapsed in on itself, the energy used flowing back into the three young women.   
"Angel,"said Faith with a sigh of relief, "what the fuck took you so long?"   
  
The four sat in the sitting room of the apartment. Trinity had somehow produced several bottles of alcohol; Jack Daniel's, Bailey's Irish Cream, Vodka, Fragelico, and Kaluah to name a few. Trinity had poured some mulled wine into a tumbler for Faith, because she was clearly showing the after effects of energy loss after the casting of a manifestation of so much power into a gateway. Faith had protested wanting vodka or JD's…something hard…but after Trinity had threatened to force it down her throat on way or another, Faith stopped complaining and downed it as fast as any hard liquor. Hope, after pouring herself a glass of Bailey's, began to sift through the remains of what had been on the shelves, discarding what couldn't be salvaged.   
"It was a good thing Cordelia had that vision," Hope stated flatly, sounding a bit distracted.   
"It's a good thing you agreed to help us out anyway you could,"said Trinity to Angel.   
"Well…it's what I do," said Angel.   
"Well…we're thankful anyway," said Hope as she dumped a pile of junk into the trash. She then turned slightly to look at the other three.   
"Maybe we should consider finding a new place…This, after all, is a hotel, not an apartment building…" Trinity and Faith exchanged glances and then said at almost the same time…   
"Sounds good…" Hope smiled silently to herself and then stood and flopped down next to her sisters. Angel watched the three sisters for a minute or so and then spoke.   
"I've been thinking -"   
"That must be a new concept for you," joked Trinity, who then received a sharp elbow in the ribs from Hope.   
"I've been thinking…" continued Angel, "Angel Investigations could use some people with your skills. Cordelia's visions aren't always of great help, and sometimes it's hard to pin point exactly where they're going to take place, and we could always use a slayer on our team…"   
"Are you offering us a job?" asked Faith. Angel nodded.   
"Yes, I am," he replied. The three sisters exchanged glances.   
"Well…we don't really need the money," said Hope thoughtfully.   
"And I was planning on finishing medical school during the next semester…" added Trinity.   
"Hey, I wouldn't mind making money to kick ass," said Faith a mite sharply. Trinity and Hope had to smile at that.   
"I don't mind helping when I can," said Hope, "but can I work on call…it would just be easier for me."   
"I think we can make that work," agreed Angel.   
"Well then, the same goes for me," said Trinity, "On call would be a hell of a lot easier…" Angel nodded.   
"Fine," he agreed, "I'll give you a call once we've added you to our pay roll." The three sisters all gave Angel smiles and nods before he headed to the front door and let himself out to return to his own apartment.   
"Huh," Faith grunted, pretty much to herself   
"Never saw that coming," muttered Trinity.   
"Personally, I think he just needs and excuse to keep an eye on all of us," murmured Hope. The three exchanged glances and then chuckled.   
"I wouldn't put it past him," agreed Faith.   
"Well…at least it's a job," said Hope…"I need something to do other than sitting around, shopping and driving around LA aimlessly… Ugh, I need a life…or maybe just a boyfriend…" And odd silence fell as Hope and Faith glanced over at Trinity who had a rather odd look on her face.   
"I…uh…need to go make a call," she said, grabbing a bottle of JD's and then disappearing into her bedroom. Hope and Faith glanced at each other and then both began to giggle.   
"Gosh, I wonder who she's gonna call," chuckled Faith.   
"Leave it alone, Faith,"said Hope in her warning tone.   
"Hey," protested Faith, "I didn't say a damn thing." Hope shook her head. At least things were getting back on track. No more evil sisters, there probably wouldn't be very many demons around for a while either…but it was all of the good, so they could relax, enjoy life, spend money…pretty much whatever the hell they bloody felt like… so were the lives of the Williams sisters…and it felt *great*. 


End file.
